By The Numbers 2015
1084
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Neighbor Visits
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$100,586
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Amount disbursed on behalf of Neighbors
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3836
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Volunteer Hours Given - Valued at $85,351
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5983
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Number of Calls
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From Where I Sit...
Lisa Blackwood, Executive Director
Where oh where did January go!?!! With holidays and snow days, days with additional coaches and phones ringing constantly, I blinked and February had arrived! It's going to be an exciting year! Challenging goals have been set by the board and the volunteer staff is ready to meet them. A few new volunteers have surfaced and others are being recruited. After 6 months in the new location we are feeling quite "at home" and so are our neighbors. Such a great location and setting. Our neighbors have much more privacy and you can witness their increased comfort level. The staff is spread out and able to concentrate much better.
It's exciting! After all, serving our neighbors is the first priority. Problem solving, empowering, educating, providing assistance and sharing hope! There are many things on our radar for 2016. First you are all invited to Vienna Coffee House on Saturday February 20th from 5:00 - 7:00pm. We are celebrating 20 years of service! Our annual Lean on Me Concert will be held on Sunday May 1st at Alcoa First United Methodist Church at 6:00 - 7:30pm and some amazing talent will be there to entertain us! There's more, much more to come..... stay tuned!
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Stories of Hope &
Changed Lives...
Alison, a single parent lives with her 16 year old son in a farmhouse that was owned by her father. Her siblings are allowing her to live there rent free until she can get on her feet. She has worked as a caregiver and also at a local market to make ends meet. The patient she had been taking care of passed away and at the very same time she lost her job at the market. Her power had been turned off when she came to Good Neighbors. She was mostly concerned for her son's well being and comfort. A local church had referred her to GN and assisted with a portion of the bill. Good Neighbors was able to help get the power back on. Referrals were made to the Family Resource Center, food pantries, Welcome Table and staffing agencies. Alison was very grateful and expects to have a new job soon.
Sandy & James are moving to a new home after being a part of the Family Promise program. They have been together for 5 years and have a young son. Sandy also has custody of her teenage brother. They tried Rapid Rehousing but could not find a place within the program's budget limit. James is now working and between them they can handle their bills. They found a place to rent and have already made a rent deposit. The only remaining barrier to moving into their own place, were the utility deposits. Both utility deposits were paid by GN and they are now in stable housing.
Glenda, a very young widow with two pre-schoolers had been living with her in-laws in a very small place since last February when she lost her husband. Life there has become increasingly more difficult as the children became more active and Glenda was feeling more ready to be on her own once again. After a several months wait, an apartment in a subsidized development became available just in time for Christmas. The only barrier for her was the rental deposit. She had been prepared for the large utility deposit but $176 in addition was just too much at one time. If she passed on the apartment now it could be 6 - 8 months before she had a second chance. While SURE funds are no longer available, GN was able to cover the rental deposit. Glenda and her children were able to celebrate this Christmas in their own place. A new beginning for this sweet family.
Being a disabled veteran does not mean that your problems go away or that assistance is hovering around every corner. For Alex life had become very difficult. While he does live in subsidized housing, his budget is very tight. He has to make 2 trips each month to Johnson City for medical care as well as weekly trips to Knoxville. He has a large "scooter" and ETHRA nor Smiles can transport him. He is unable to walk more than about 10 steps, but can transfer from the scooter to his van. At the end of November his van broke down and required a $600 repair. His rent money had to go to cover the repair or else he could not make his medical appointments. What a dilemma!?!! After all, if he is evicted from his subsidized housing he will not be able to qualify. He is in no condition to live in his van. Alex came to Good Neighbors for assistance. He had a small portion of his rent but if he used all of that he would have no funds for anything else the rest of the month. What to do, what to do? Well, the staff put their heads together, made some phone calls, verified his info and got some outside assistance to help as well. Alex paid a small portion of his rent, GN covered the rest with additional assistance from our "friends". Alex can enjoy the safety and comfort of his home without fear now.
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Time to celebrate!
Good Neighbors is celebrating 20 years of service with our neighbors. Previous Directors, volunteer staff and board members will be there to greet you!
We hope you can join us for an informal gathering at Vienna Coffee House on Feb 20 as we celebrate 20 years of service to Blount County. We thank you for being a part of this great organization, and we look forward to celebrating with you!
Vienna Coffee House
5:00 - 7:00 pm
For more information, call the office at 681-5420.
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Welcome New Board Members!
New Year-New Board! We greet 4 new board members, Suzie Cutshaw, Michelle Nuchols, Tanya Smith and Sarah Thaemert. They bring great skills, energy and enthusiasm. The Board of Directors will be looking forward to a big year! We have a few new events including a celebration of the 20th year of operation and even a few surprises!
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